How To Coax Fresh Vegetables From The Garden All Winter Long


By Ahmed Hajouj.


Autumn typically signals the end of home grown vegetables from the garden, but with a little ingenuity you can harvest garden fresh produce well into the winter months. My Central Pennsylvania garden continues to supply fresh vegetables during the fall and winter when most gardeners in my growing region are content to dream about next summer’s bounty. Read on to discover simple tricks that will fortify your garden against the onslaught of frigid weather.

Fall often delivers brief cold spells with a few frost filled mornings, sandwiched between weeks of milder, frost-free conditions. The problem is that a single touch of frost can wipe out every tender annual growing in the garden. Fortunately, a little protection will enable frost sensitive vegetables and herbs to survive a cold snap, and reward the resourceful gardener with an opportunity to enjoy extended harvests.

Something as simple as the transparent, fleecy, floating row covers used to shield plants from harmful insects can also prevent frost damage. Row covers trap the warmth that radiates up from the earth much like the way that a cloud cover holds temperatures and prevents frost from forming. Row covers offer a few degrees of protection, keeping tender annuals safe from light frost. Use the thicker grade covers for maximum benefit.

Late summer is the ideal time to sow cold tolerant vegetables that will flourish in the fall and endure cold weather without complaint. Examples of hardy vegetables for fall gardening include: kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, cabbages, oriental greens, rutabagas, and some varieties of lettuce. 

Once freezing conditions arrive, even cold hardy crops will appreciate some protection if they remain in the garden. Cardboard boxes and fruit baskets can provide shelter to individual plants, while old sheets, blankets, and heavy plastic tarps will protect entire rows or beds of plants. Apply the coverings in the evening when freezes are forecast and remove them the following morning after the sun warms the air. 

Another effective solution is to use a commercial variety of cloche, or to set up a portable cold frame over the garden bed. Cloches include the heavy glass, bell shaped jars, or variously styled and shaped rigid plastic devices.

One style of cold frame consists of a tubular frame covered by a woven poly material with flaps for venting. You can also obtain sturdier cold frames made with aluminum framing and twin wall polycarbonate panels that lift up for venting. Regardless of the type of protection used to cover your plants you must remove it or provide venting during the day as temperatures rise.

Resourceful gardeners can combine a few discarded window sashes and bales of straw to create a simple makeshift cold frame. Just arrange the straw bales into a rectangular shape around a garden bed and lay the windows across the top to form an enclosed and insulated growing area. This setup will work great to keep a bed of leafy greens growing further into the winter.

Oddly enough, water can protect and insulate plants from the cold. Commercial orchards actually spray water and mist onto their trees to prevent frost damage. 

In the home garden you can employ plastic gallon jugs filled with water to provide protection. Place the containers around plants, under floating row covers or tarps, and inside of your cold frames.

The water will absorb and store heat during the day and release it at night to provide warmth for your plants. You’ll get the best results by painting the jugs black so that they’ll absorb more energy from the sun during the day. Incredibly, even if the water in the container freezes, it will continue to release a significant amount of heat energy into the surrounding area.

Certain vegetables will survive on their own in the garden through bitterly cold conditions. Leeks, kale, and collards frequently withstand harsh winters without any protection. Fall planted garlic and shallots will develop strong root systems in the fall, spend the winter underground, and then spring up at the earliest signs of the arrival of spring.

Many root crops including beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips can be left in the garden protected with a thick layer of shredded leaves or straw. You can then continue harvesting as needed, provided that the ground doesn’t freeze and prevent digging. Complete your harvesting before spring arrives though, since quality will degrade once the roots resume growing and switch into seed production mode.

With proper planning and a little extra care you can easily grow and harvest vegetables beyond the normal spring and summer seasons. Simply implement a few of the ideas presented in this article and you’ll soon enjoy your own home grown, fresh produce much longer than usual, possibly even year-round.

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees


By Ahmed Hajouj.


If you maintain any pitted fruit trees such as plums, peaches, or cherries, I’m sure you know that those types of trees are much more susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it can be rather hard to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everyone who has ever grown one of those types of fruit trees.

The main disease that you will hear about the most is known as “Brown Rot”. This is a fungus that attaches to many of the leftover fruits after the picking season is over. Not only does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it also can come back on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible (unless you enjoy eating fungus). To prevent this malady, you should prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the main cause of the brown rot. Also when you are done picking for the season, you should get rid of all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the ground.

A cytospora canker is a disgusting dark, soft area on tree branches. Gum protrudes through the bark, along with a large callus. The pathogen which causes these cankers usually enters the tree through older wounds. If you prune all of the sprouts that occur in late summer, cankers will have a harder time making themselves known within your tree. When you prune, always allow the wounds to heal naturally rather than use the wound dressings that you can buy at gardening stores. I’ve found that these usually do very little to help any situation, and only serve to make the tree look unnatural.

Those planting plum trees might deal with something called Black Knot. The symptoms of black not are rough tumors or growths that can be seen on the tree’s branches. If you see any of these, you should immediately chop off the branch it has attached to. If you use branches for mulch usually, don’t for this one. This disease can easily re-enter the tree if it is within a certain distance.

Almost everyone who has ever maintained a cherry tree has dealt with the “Cherry Leaf Spot”. It usually shows itself when there are old dead leaves accumulated on the ground. Preventing this disease is fairly easy. All you have to do is be fairly diligent in raking up all of the leaves that fall from your tree. If you have already seen signs of the disease, you should destroy all of your raked leaves. If not, then you can use them as mulch.

When your fruits ripen and become ready for picking, you should always be completely finished with picking within 2 weeks. It is best to daily go outside and pick all of the new ripe fruits, along with any that have fallen off of the tree or are starting to rot on the tree. By doing this, you will prevent bees and wasps from becoming too dependent on your tree for nourishment.

Growers of fruit trees are constantly faced with diseases and pests to worry about. However, if you take the proper precautions then you can avoid most of them. You should also look for any diseases that have been affecting your local area, and try to take steps to prevent those as well.

How to Prevent Small Fruits


By Ahmed Hajouj.


The one thing that usually shocks new tree growers is the fact that the fruits produced by their tree are much smaller than the ones they’re used to seeing at the grocery store. “What is wrong with my tree?!”, “My God! What have I done!?” are some cried you may hear from the disgruntled tree grower. However, small fruits are a natural occurrence. But while smaller fruits might be what nature originally intended, it is possible to attain larger fruits without any genetic altering or added chemicals. It is only through advanced techniques that the professionals reach such large sizes with their fruits.

Usually in the early stages of a fruit trees growing, veterans do something called “fruit thinning”. The theory behind this process is that with less fruits to pay attention to, the tree will be able to more efficiently send cells to the leftover fruits. When there are hundreds of little fruits on one tree, competing for the available materials necessary for growth, you will most likely just end up with a bunch of stunted fruits. To take care of this problem, simply pluck a third of the fruits extremely early on in the process. You should notice larger fruits that season.

On almost any tree, the success of each individual fruit depends on the spacing. Usually there should not be any fruits within six to eight inches of each other. During the fruit thinning process, this is the distance you should generally aim for to optimize the amount of nutrition that each fruit gets. Any closer and you’ll find they are crowding each other out. Usually this is the first mistake that a new tree grower makes. Having tons of fruit starting to grow is not always a good thing!

Sometimes small fruits are caused by conditions out of the gardener’s control. During the process of cell division that all new fruits go through, cool weather can be fatal to the largeness of your fruits. Likewise, if the weather is particularly cloudy very early in the season, then fewer carbohydrates will be available to your plants. Occasionally, if the factors are all against the well being of your fruit tree, then the fruits will drop to the ground before they are even ripe. A lack of water or certain nutrients, or excessive pests and diseases can also damage the growth of fruits. If you notice these things going on early in the season, you should do more fruit thinning than normal. Sometimes as much as three fourths of the fruits should come off, to allow full nutrition to those who remain.

The best way to find out how to gain larger fruit sizes is to experiment. If your tree has been around for a while, there is almost nothing you can do to it to cause it to die or stop producing fruit. Just test different thinning techniques or anything you can think of to make the fruits larger. You might even head down to your local nursery and enquire about what they would suggest. They will be able to give you advice based on your region and specific tree, which is better than anything I could tell you. So don’t settle with small fruits. Go out there and find out what exactly you need to do to improve the size.

5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Greenhouse Lighting


By Ahmed Hajouj.


If you are one of those few people who are in love with nature, then, having a greenhouse garden at your background is an incredible idea. In fact, according to some statistical reports, 80% of the 100 people that owned greenhouses in the United States were nature lovers, while the remaining 20% said it was purely for commercial gains.

Built specially for plant cultivation, greenhouses or hothouses are specially designed to suit the needs of every plant lover. It is a sanctuary where people and plants can bond together and enjoy each other as they fill the world with lush flora and abundant greens.

In as much as greenhouses are designed to provide the perfect environment for any kind of plant, there are some cases wherein the viability of the equipment is still dependent on the owner of the greenhouse or to those who manage the area.

In this sense, it is important for every greenhouse owner to see to it that the needs of the conservatory are being met.

The Greenhouse Setting

Technically, the main concept of a greenhouse is that the plants are placed in a space confined in a specially designed structure. Since the plants were not cultivated in an open area, it is extremely important for the owner to provide the necessary requirements that the plants have.

One should keep in mind that the plants are placed in a secured place; hence, it is the responsibility of the greenhouse owner or the one who manages the place to provide the needs similar to that of the ones being enjoyed by the plants in the exterior environment.

The Lighting

One of the most important necessities of every plant in order to manufacture its own food is the light. You have probably learned from your grade school science teacher that plants need light in order to produce its own food, along with the other factors such as water and air.

With respect to the conditions inside the greenhouse, it is important for the plants to receive adequate amount of light in order to develop and grow on its maximum state. This is especially useful during winter, where no amount of natural light can be produced.

Hence, it is extremely significant to provide some artificial lights in order to supply the lighting needs of every plant inside the hothouse.

Today, there are various kinds of lighting features that are built to suit the individual needs of the plants being cultivated in greenhouses. Choosing a specific greenhouse light can be very tricky, especially if you are not yet familiar with it.

Hence, it is so important to consider some factors when buying a greenhouse light. Here is the list that you can use when buying the items:

1. Type of greenhouse

Before buying a greenhouse light, try to consider first the kind of greenhouse that you have. Is it a commercial greenhouse or a personal one? 

Knowing what type of greenhouse that you have could easily teach you what kind of light to choose. For instance, if you have a commercial greenhouse, it is best that you buy a light that is created to endure humid, adverse conditions that are commonly found in commercial conservatories.

2. Length of use

It does not necessarily mean that when you buy lighting fixtures you will absolutely use them 24 hours a day. The duration of light use in greenhouses are based on “photoperiods.” This means that the period, in which, the light will be used may vary. For example, one may use lighting for a “12-hour photoperiod.” This means that within 24 hours cycle, lighting will be used for 12 hours and 12 hours with no light at all.

Hence, it is important to buy a light that will provide the necessary benefits even if it will take longer hours of use.

3. Purpose

Buy a light that will focus more on your desired results. For instance, if you want to motivate the growth of your flowering plants like the orchids, it is best to buy a light that will put more weight on the “spectrum colors” like the red, blue and the “far-red wavelengths.”

Besides, the colors of the light have notable effects on the plant growth. This means that not all light can actually produce the desired results.

4. Electrical efficiency

Even if lighting can provide most of what your greenhouse needs, it is also important to take note of the efficiency of the product. This means that you should better opt for those lighting products that provide optimum effect without having to compromise the amount of energy that they consume.

It would be better to buy lights that are efficient but can still conserve as little energy as possible.

5. Heat

Do remember that lighting should only be used where it is needed. This goes to show that any light that emits more than what it is needed for is actually worthless. Simply put, a light that emits more heat as it releases light is of no use. Too much heat on plants will trigger its death. For example, it is not a good idea to buy an incandescent bulb because it gives out too much heat.

Indeed, lighting is such an important factor in a plant’s development. Hence, it is very important to consider the kinds of light to be used in your greenhouse in order to ensure the quality of plant growth that you want to achieve.

Gardening inside the Greenhouse


By Ahmed Hajouj.


Most homes have a front lawn or a backyard with trees and grass. The person can easily make a few changes then it will be better than it was before.  A good hobby that some individuals have taken in the spare time is gardening and the same thing can be done if one decides to have a greenhouse.

The first thing that needs to be done is assess the area where the greenhouse will be. If there is not that much space in putting a free standing version, then perhaps attaching the greenhouse to the home is a good idea.

The first thing to be done is to measure the area. The greenhouse should have enough sunlight for the plants and shade when it gets too hot. This can be done by making some observations at different times of the day.

The home may be affected by the cold climate or the heat during the summer. Preparations need to be done to install and heater and a ventilation system which could to counter the threat and make the flowers grow in the greenhouse. 

The kind of heater to be used for a greenhouse can be powered by electricity since the area isn’t that big. Getting something like those that use oil or gas may only be needed if the structure is expanded.

Both systems will provide the gardener sufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide that is needed for the plant to grow. 

Another way of giving plants enough space to grow is the type of panels used for the greenhouse. Since plants need sunlight to grow, the type of material used for the windows and ceiling are important.

Traditionally, glass can do the job but some studies have shown that too much sunlight passes through and kills the plants. To avoid this, panels made of film, plastic or Plexiglas is much better.

The greenhouse should also use the ideal kind of flowers that will survive the climate. The person can ask the sales representative at the gardening store or look at the label posted on each plant before buying and bringing it home. 

When everything is ready, the person has two options. The first is draw the design then go to a supplier who can do that or go directly to the contractor to make a drawing then have it made.

If the person doesn’t have an idea where to start, one can look at how the other people who do this as a hobby in the neighborhood do it. The person can also visit the arboretum or look at gardening magazines just to get an idea what kind of greenhouse is best for the home. 

The soil in that part of the house should be prepared before construction is under way. Basically, this is just to enclose the area so it is alright if there are plants in the site already.  

The greenhouse can later be improved to not only have soil but have water at all times that will enhance the plants growth. This technique which is done by farmers to increase crop production is called hydroponics farming. 

When the gardener, has enough money, soil can be changed to water channels that release water mixed with nutrients to the plants. There are various ways to do this and doing some research on the way this can be implanted will get the gardener moving on the right track. 

Another thing needed to properly work in the greenhouse is having the right equipment. This can easily be purchased at the local gardening store and these should be stored properly when not in use.

It will be a good idea to have this locked to prevent children from playing with it and accidents from happening. 

Gardening doesn’t always have to be done by a professional. The person can do in a creative way to make the house stand out. By doing some research first before having it installed, the place will really look great when construction has been completed. 

By knowing the proper techniques in maintaining the greenhouse and planting the right flowers, this place will be another room that will really make the individual feel at home.

How Greenhouse Climates Work in the Growth of Plants


By Ahmed Hajouj.


There are geothermal heated greenhouses that support a plant’s life process in changing climate conditions. These heated greenhouses consume a large amount of heat energy when it comes to gardening and agriculture. However, it should be satisfying to most gardeners because of the good results they provide to the growth and development of a plant.

Most of these energy needs and geothermal conditioning are basically structured according to the environmental and ecological orientation of most greenhouses. The energy needs are adjusting based on the certain climate changes that may occur from the different seasons of the year. They are built with light materials that have minimal insulating features to create a stable climate inside the greenhouse. 

The external climate brings a different approach to an internal climate system in a greenhouse. The necessity to have a greenhouse may occur during colder seasons where there is limited sunlight. The main purpose of having an internal climate system is to optimize the needed factors for plant growth. The internal climate factor that will be obtained is the photosynthesis process involved in environment and plant reactions. 

Photosynthesis is the reaction process between the plants and the sun’s solar radiation. This means that carbon dioxide is supplied by sunlight to create a life process for the plants. There is a certain amount of climate heat that is calculated to designate the needed supply for lighting and heating. The greenhouse climate is essential in calculating the needed heat and coldness to the demand of the greenhouse. 

The existence of heating and humidifying systems can adjust to the conditions of any external climate changes. Some processes that take part to the continuous energy balance maintained in any greenhouse is the water transport through the soil, plant canopy, and air. The formation of chlorophyll affects the entire internal climate. This happens because of the effect of heat transfer, solar light, oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle. 

Here are some factors in valuing each aspect of parameters that is important to the climate condition and character of the internal climate. 

1.  The air movement in the greenhouse may influence the needed heat transfer on the air composition to the plant canopy. It also involves the process of water transfer to the plant canopy. This process will sustain the energy balance needed by the plants to continue a healthier life process in the greenhouse. 

2.  The heating installation is essential for the proper distribution of temperature inside the greenhouse. It also allows a controlled air movement to maintain the humidity and moisture in air characteristics that is affected by the external climate changes. 

3.  The water transport in the greenhouse also plays a big role in sustaining the photosynthetic process in the environment the plants. The roots have aspects pertaining to cultivation base that offers a needed amount of water, which is also needed in humidity and greenhouse temperature. 

4.  The air temperature affects the whole energy state inside the greenhouse. It is the connective heat supplied in the different aspects of the environment. The characteristic of the air movement in the greenhouse influences the leaves and stems of each plant. 

5.  The light factor is very essential in producing photosynthesis reaction to the plant’s canopy and to the formation of carbon dioxide that serves a big role in the respiration of the plants. Its necessity takes significance on the plants’ development and life process inside the greenhouse. Solar radiation provides instant intensity of light spectrum to supply the needed warmth and heat energy during colder seasons. 

6.  The soil or ground base temperature affects the condition of the climate inside the greenhouse as well. The significant parameter involves the transfer of heat energy directly to the ground structure, which includes the roots and the water flow system that partakes in the plants’ growth.

7.  The carbon dioxide concentration also takes part in the life process inside the greenhouse. The normal average of carbon dioxide concentration in the external air atmosphere is 0.03%. This is important to maintain a balanced temperature and humidity density in a greenhouse. 

It is important for a greenhouse to have installed systems to create an environment that will provide continuous life process for plants in changing climate conditions. A well-planned greenhouse climate should assure a person of having proper distribution of light, temperature, water, carbon dioxide, and other essential factors needed for every plant to grow.

Bonsai Care


By Ahmed Hajouj.


What are the basics of effective Bonsai care. 

Caring for your Bonsai tree involves many of the same activities associated with caring for a pot plant or an indoor plant. Well developed and healthy fibrous roots are essential for the continued good health of your Bonsai tree and repotting is an essential way to manage this process. Normally a young or fast growing Bonsai will need to be repotted roughly once a year; for less prolific growers or older trees it can be done as infrequently as once every five years. You should always try to repot during late winter or early spring when the buds start to swell. 

How to repot a Bonsai tree. 

The process of repotting a Bonsai tree is one that you should take seriously and follow these simple instructions: 

First, you should tidy the tree by carefully pruning off any unwanted, long branches. Also, make sure the tree has been under cover for a few weeks if it is an outdoor Bonsai, this way the soil will be relatively dry. Once you remove the tree from it’s pot you will be able to see whether it really needs repotting. If it is root bound then you should repot it, however, if there are another few inches of room so the roots can grow a little longer then you can carefully replace the tree in it’s original pot and continue as normal. 

You should remove surface soil from the roots either by hand or using a nylon scrubbing brush. Brush away from the trunk and be careful not to damage any of the roots. Removing the loose soil will give the Bonsai tree a healthier look and feel. Once you’ve removed most of the soil in this way, you can use a small, fine bristled paintbrush to remove the soil stuck in the roots or that has collected in the roots. 

Use a Bonsai fork to comb out the roots. Do this by combing out the roots from underneath and then use scissors to prune up to a third of the roots and then cut out small wedges around the root base to allow fresh soil to collect and keep your Bonsai healthy. Add a layer of grit to the bottom of the pot and then add the Bonsai compst of your choice. 

Take the time to position your Bonsai tree in the pot and then push a little more soil into awkward places. Complete this as often as you need to as mentioned above.